With the debt ceiling fight in the rear-view mirror, the 2024 presidential race is beginning to heat up. Former Vice President Mike Pence and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie are both probably jumping in the race this week.
Meanwhile, in Iowa, former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov Ron DeSantis are taking shots at one another, while former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), and others try to make their cases.
Where does this leave us? We'll also talk about events in Israel, where a rogue Egyptian policeman appears killed three Israeli soldiers, and the Netanyahu government faces the task of judicial reform. Author Abigail Shrier was also confronted by left-wing radicals as she tried to present her book, "Irreversible Damage," in Tel Aviv. The world lost pro-Israel journalist Claudia Rossett. And President Biden rolled out an antisemitism "strategy" -- will it work?
There's also a new organization, founded by Jewish conservatives, to confront both George Soros -- and the idea that criticizing Soros is antisemitic. So, in a week that marks the anniversary of D-Day and the Six-day War... join us!
Special guests:
Emma-Jo Morris - Breitbart News political editor, on the 2024 race
Amanda House - retiring Breitbart News video editor, on motherhood
Josh Hammer and Will Scharf -- founders of JewsAgainstSoros.com
Caroline Glick - columnist and Middle East expert, CarolineGlick.com
Anne Bayefsky - human rights activist and international law expert
Tune in: SiriusXM Patriot 125, 7-10 p.m. ET, 4-7 p.m. PT
Call in: 866-957-2874
This is the portion that all journalists should love: the Torah tells the story of the 12 spies, only two of whom tell the truth when the other ten shade it in a negative away (perhaps to suit a political agenda that is opposed to Moses).
It's not that the ten "lying" spies misconstrue the facts about the Land of Israel; rather, they interject their opinions that the land is impossible to conquer, which strikes unnecessary terror into the hearts of the people.
We have many examples of such fake news today -- from the Iranian propaganda outlets spreading false claims that they are winning the war, to California politicians spreading false horror stories about ICE raids in L.A.
The people realize, too late, that they have been fooled, and once they are condemned to die in the desert, they try to rush into Israel -- only to be defeated by the inhabitants, as the spies predicted that they would be.
But as consolation, God gives the people new commandments -- focused on things they must ...
This week's portion discusses the procedure for lighting the menorah, the holy seven-branched lamp, in the Tabernacle (and later the Temple). It also describes an episode where the people crave meat, and God punishes them by giving it to them in excess. We also read the story of Miriam, Moses's sister, who is punished with the spiritual skin blemish of tzara'at for speaking about her brother, thus violating the prohibition against lashon hara (evil tongue).
I heard a fantastic sermon this week about the lighting of the menorah: that while only the priests were qualified to clean and purify the menorah, anyone could light it. A reminder that each of us can inspire others along the way.
This week we study the vow of the Nazirite; a reminder that sometimes trying to be too holy is excessive, and the best we can do is to be the best that we are.
https://www.chabad.org/parshah/torahreading_cdo/aid/2495720/p/complete/jewish/Naso-Torah-Reading.htm
